Publications
We use gender and sexuality lens to develop our material, focussing on making the content as contextualised and inclusive as possible. We also have a commitment to make simple and accessible material, without compromising on the complexity of the content as well as contexts when they are set. Nirantar’s publications are used as educational resource material by activists, students, teachers, trainers, facilitators, educationists, and practitioners. A number of our publications can also be used as direct-reading material by neo-literate people and those with low levels of literacy.
1. Books
Nirantar publishes books related to women's education, exploring the linkages between gender and education in women’s lives through a multitude of methods and themes.
Gender aur Shiksha Reader, Vol 1 & 2
Available in Hindi
These two volumes on Gender and Education bring together theoretical pieces, fiction, biographies and policies on education from a gender perspective. Most of this material is translated from English where we have tried our best to keep the essence of articles and chapters intact. These books provide high-quality reading for academics, researchers, students and activists with an interest in gender and education.
Kalam-e-Niswan
Available in Hindi
To develop a deeper understanding of Muslim women’s education, we explored the history of writing by Muslim women over the last century. In Kalam-e-Niswan, for the first time, these writings from various Urdu publications are compiled in the form of a book. The pieces have been transliterated, keeping the flavour of the writing intact. (Read more about this book)
Bhay Naahi, Khed Naahi
Available in Hindi
This book is based on the life and work of Pandita Ramabai, the 19th century visionary who gave us an incisive critique of the upper caste, male dominance, and championed the cause of women’s education. This book is a product of years of intensive research on the subject. (Read more about this book)
Windows to the World
Available in Hindi and English
This book shares and reflects upon the experience of developing a curriculum for rural women. It presents principles, concepts and issues often faced by educational practitioners working with rural women.
2. Resource Material / Booklets
Written in simple Hindi, these booklets include reading material for young readers. It also consists of powerful and engaging literary works for rural and newly-literate audiences. They are a perfect blend of entertainment and a range of interesting information.
Yuva Pitara Shrinkhla
Available in Hindi
Nirantar’s experience of 25 years in publishing Pitara magazine for adult readers feeds into the Pitara Young Reader series. These theme-based booklets have articles on history, geography, popular science, etc. In addition, it discusses issues related to gender and social equity. Besides information, each booklet contains fiction, humour, and interesting snippets based on the theme.
This theme-based series includes:
Khana Khazana Tana Bana
Jangal Ki Chaanv Me Ho Jaayen Lotpot
Duniyan Ki Sair Nadinama
Parsi Nu Jivan Hamari Kalam Se
Roshni Ke Dweep Dastan-e-Radio
Bhasha Ke Rang Dhang Kheti Kisaani
Amarbel
Available in Hindi
The stories in this book capture the shades and nuances of women’s lives and go on to show that life can be both delicate as well as full of courage and determination.
Pancharatna
Available in Hindi
This book contains five stories based on the writings of eminent literary personalities. It presents a mosaic - from satires to memoirs, and from stories about communal tensions to desire and sexuality.
Nawab Se Nandini: Aurat-Mard Ki Pahchan Se Pare Jeevan
Available in Hindi
This is the real-life story of a person who is born male but identifies with the feminine. One of the only writings on transgender realities available in Hindi, the story challenges the notions that there are only two genders and points to the diversity that exists in the realm of gender as well as sexuality.
Dekho Kahin Chhut Na Jaaye
Available in Hindi
This collection of evergreen folktales has stories from different states and regions of India, as well as from other countries. No single individual has authored these tales, but have been created by communities and passed down from one generation to the next.
Jaani Cheezein, Anjaani Baatein
Available in Hindi
Watermelon, betel leaf, ice, sweat, and beehives – familiar things about which there is much to be learnt! This book provides information on what is unique about the ‘common’ things in life.
Hari Bhari
Available in Hindi
This one is based on fascinating pieces and little-known facts about plants.
Kahaniyan Nayi Purani
Available in Hindi
This book contains eight stories, with a mix of age-old folk tales and new-age stories by renowned writers. These stories reveal emotions of humour, intimacy, love and humanity and also encounter inequity, exploitation and injustice.
Manto
Available in Hindi
This book features two stories, based on the writings of well-known author Saadat Hasan Manto–‘Khol Do’ and ‘Thanda Gosht’. The book captures the orgy of hatred and violence that erupted in the wake of the partition of India in 1947. The writer had once remarked that if you cannot tolerate these stories, it only goes to show that the society we live in is intolerable.
Zindagi In Nazron Se
Available in Hindi
This compilation has nine stories covering different facets of women’s lives, including stories based on the writings of well-known women writers as well as folk tales.
Kya Aap Jaante Hain
Available in Hindi
Do you know… Why do we shed tears? Why do we grow bald? Why do fireflies glow in the dark? How is paper made? Find answers to such questions in a book that unravels the mysteries of phenomena and happenings that are part of our everyday life.
Sukhiya-Haqiqi Series - Vol 1, 2
Available in Hindi
A series of two volumes of educational material aimed at building perspectives of Self Help Group (SHG) members on issues of gender justice, equity, and livelihoods.
1. Vol 1 – Kissa Sukhiya Haqiqi Ka
2. Vol 2 – Sukhiya Haqiqi aur Badte Dayere
Wings to Fly, in My Own Sky
Available in Hindi and English
This is a booklet on early and child marriage in India and the questions of a girl around the issue.
This booklet is based on letters and reflections of both learners and facilitators who worked together in learning centres under Parvaaz Adolescent Centre For Education (PACE) Project. It provides insights into the life of young girls living in urban resettlement colonies and unorganized colonies of Delhi.
3. Primers
Literacy Primers
Available in Hindi
Learning to read and write is difficult, but forgetting rather easy. For Nirantar, both promoting literacy and strengthening literacy skills to a level where it is difficult to 'relapse' are of critical importance. Nirantar has published primary teaching learning materials for use by teachers/facilitators to teach women learning literacy and numeracy skills during the basic literacy phase. Our post-literacy material for newly literate learners recognises that while they may have fragile literacy skills, they have a wealth of experience, knowledge, and analytical abilities. The materials contain simple texts, poems, exercises, stories, information, and photographs.
1. Bolti Hai Bhasha: These two volumes constitute a language-teaching curriculum to strengthen literacy skills while developing perspectives related to the situation of adult women and adolescent girls. The three themes in the curriculum include the identity of women, their work, and violence against them.
> Teachers Manual
> Learners Workbook
2. Bhasha Ka Tana Bana: This book constitutes a language-teaching curriculum to develop perspectives on self-perception, family, and society for adult women and adolescent girls.
3. Sang Padenge, Saath Badenge (SHG Primer Package): The package includes a primer, and workbook: teaching-learning material, which can be used by teachers/facilitators to develop basic literacy skills in their specific context of SHGs. The workbook is designed to enable learners to practice and sustain their newly acquired skills.
> Literacy Primer
> Literacy Workbook
Health Primers
Available in Hindi
Pade Jaane Apna Swasthya (Health Primer Package) enables basic acquisition of literacy skills; it also deals with issues of health with a gender perspective. It includes basic information on health systems, health institutions and various government schemes, etc, as well as an understanding of body and mind and their functioning. Learners’ workbook is on the same theme, with exercises and activities.
> Health Primer
> Health Workbook
Numeracy Primers
Available in Hindi
Sang Padenge, Saath Badenge (Numeracy Primer Package) is for teachers covers basic mathematical concepts (such as counting, place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) in a systematic progression. It links these concepts to how numeracy is used in daily life in rural contexts and highlights the links between numeracy and gender, caste, class, and other social dimensions.
> Numeracy Primer
> Numeracy Workbook
4. Training Modules
Nirantar publishes training modules which contain activities, with points of discussion, and is built keeping challenging responses from participants in mind.
MANREGA Mate Prashikshan Module: Mahila Sashaktikaran Ke Nazariye Se
Available in Hindi
A module for training women mates or women supervisors (also known as ‘Mahila Mates’ in MANREGA)
Gender Aadharit Hinsa Aur Yaunikta Par Module
Available in Hindi
A detailed activity module for sexuality training, equipped with examples, references, etc
Khulti Parten : Yaunikta Aur Hum, Vol 1 & 2
Available in Hindi
This resource book has two parts, aimed at explaining key concepts of sexuality in a manner that is in-depth, yet accessible to community-based practitioners, and that relates to our lives and work at the community level. It is informed by an approach to sexuality which is both positive and political.
Swasthya Ki Khoj Mein, Vol 1, 2, 3
Available in Hindi
This is a set of three health education manuals:
1. Volume I – Ek Nazaria: This volume seeks to build an understanding of the concept of health and how it relates to poverty, gender and governance.
2. Volume II- Khud Ko Jaanein: The second volume focuses on systems of the human body - their functioning, diseases related to the systems, their causes, prevention and cure.
3. Volume III- Apne Ko Pahchaanein: This volume is about reproductive health and also includes a section on sexuality. It moves between women’s personal experience and a critical analysis of these experiences.
(Read more about these books)
5. Research Reports
Nirantar’s research seeks to strategically impact policy-level discussions and debates on issues related to gender and education. Our mandate is of creating and disseminating knowledge in different ways, which includes publishing reports and papers.
Textbook Regimes
Available in Hindi and English
This set of study reports analyses the construction of gender, caste, class and religion-based identities in school textbooks through the gender lens. The volumes of this set include an analysis of the language and social sciences textbooks prescribed at the national level as well as in the states of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and West Bengal. The set comprises of:
1. Textbook Regimes: Overall Analysis
2. Textbook Regimes: Tamil Nadu Study Report
3. Textbook Regimes: Gujarat Study Report
4. Textbook Regimes: West Bengal Study Report
A Critical Examination of Sexuality Discourses in India
Available in English
This mapping seeks to create a space for a “coming together” of various conversations around sexuality in India, towards a positive-political integration of sexuality discourses. Spanning from marginalisation of gender and sexual identities to broader links of sexuality and gender transgression with social, economic and political structures around caste, religion and class, and ways in which all these interact with law, education and health, the mapping brings together some critical insights and questions.
Sexuality and Gender-Based Violence: Acknowledging the Elephant in the Room
Available in English
This research report is based on Nirantar’s learnings from a series of workshops held in 2006 with 56 caseworkers across 5 states. It explores the interlinkages between sexuality and gender-based violence.
Acknowledging the Elephant in the Room
Available in Hindi and English
Study Reports on Self Help Groups
Available in Hindi and English
1. Volume I - Examining Empowerment, Poverty Alleviation And Education Within Self Help Groups: A Qualitative Study
What has been the impact of the widespread phenomenon of Self Help Groups on empowerment and poverty alleviation? The in-depth qualitative study on micro-credit-based women’s collectives seeks to answer this question through the lens of education - both at the level of women’s lived realities and at the level of discourse on gender and development.
English
Hindi
2. Volume II - Examining Literacy And Power Within Self Help Groups: A Quantitative Study
This report shares the findings of a survey of 2,750 micro-credit based SHGs across 16 states of the country. It presents striking evidence to show how literacy is a key determinant of access to learning opportunities, credit and positions of leadership. It also provides evidence of the large scale denial of learning opportunities to SHG members that are necessary for empowerment.
English
Hindi
Exploring the Everyday: Ethnographic Approaches to Literacy and Numeracy
Available in English
This book shares concepts and approaches to literacy and numeracy that are rooted in people’s knowledge and practices. It also documents experiences of how organisations have drawn upon ethnography to strengthen teaching-learning practices and materials.
1. Part I
2. Part II
3. Part III
New Worlds, New Skills: Leadership Development for Muslim and Dalit Women
Available in Hindi and English
This document and film provides a glimpse into the experience of a leadership building workshop conceptualised and implemented by Nirantar and Sanatkada (Lucknow), with a group of predominantly Muslim women in Lucknow and Banda. It shows how ICTs and new media provide an innovative and exciting way to work with women on issues of gender, identity, development and citizenship.
Early And Child Marriage in India
Available in Hindi and English
The reports provide an analytic overview of the landscape of early and child marriage in India, based on a study conducted in 2014 by Nirantar.
1. Early And Child Marriage In India: A Landscape Analysis
2. Early and Child Marriage in India: A Summary Report
Action Research Study on Educational Opportunities for Women
Available in Hindi and English
Nirantar initiated an action research study that would evoke and analyse women’s perceptions related to education and empowerment as well as perceptions of those in relevant institutions of governance. The study was carried out over a two-year period in six different states. It was part of a project entitled Gender, Citizenship & Governance in South Asia & Southern Africa, coordinated by Royal Tropical Institute, Netherlands (April 1999 - 2003).
Full report on this Action Research Study
Padhana Likhana Parakhana Apani Zindagi ko
Available in Hindi
From 2010 to 2015, Nirantar worked with around thirty partner organizations and helped them in making literacy a part of their work. In this partnership, Nirantar had one prime role; To help in order to implement the literacy programme on the field. Being in this position/role, we learnt many things and our experiences grew deeper.
6. Magazine for Neo-Literates
Aapka Pitara
Available in Hindi
Aapka Pitara was a bi-monthly magazine written in simple Hindi, which Nirantar produced regularly from 1994-2010. The magazine targets both adults and adolescents in Hindi speaking states. The magazine carries news items, articles, fiction, poetry, humorous pieces and photo features. Separate issues and bound compilations are available with Nirantar.
7. Notebook
This notebook brings together the two decades of Nirantar’s work. Consisting of first attempts by neo-literate women to write and express, the notebook tries to portray their sense of ushering into a new world. It has been decorated by beautiful illustrations, many of which are drawn by these women themselves, along with words and the ideas behind these words.
Our books and materials are available for purchase from our resource centre and can be sent through post. Click here to get in touch with us.
Download our Catalogue in English
Download our Catalogue in Hindi